Letter carriers ask for residents to help ‘Stamp Out Hunger’

On Saturday May 11, the National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC)

and the Campbell Soup Company ask you to help Stamp Out Hunger in Elsberry and Foley. Now in its 21st year, the annual food drive from regional to a national effort that provides assistance to the millions of Americans struggling to put food on the table.

The Stamp Out Hunger food drive, held on the second Saturday in May, has become the nation’s largest single-day food drive benefiting Feeding American, the nation’s largest domestic hunger relief organization. In2012, generous American’s donate 70 million pounds of food, which marked the ninth consecutive year that at least 70million pounds were collected by letter carriers.

“We’re incredibly excited for the 21st year of the Stamp Out hunger food drive,” said Postmaster Bill Haugen. “We’re asking residents for their support to make this year the most successful in the drive’s history. It is so easy to make a donation: simply leave a bag of non-perishable food items by your mailbox to help neighbors in need. That is all it takes.”

The need for food assistance exists in every community in America, no matter how rich or poor. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, approximately 50 million Americans are food insecure, meaning they live at risk of hunger. Perhaps most alarming is the fact that nearly 17 million children in America are struggling with hunger.

Campbell Soup Company and its partners are producing post cards and shopping bags that will be delivered to approximately 75 million homes across the country as a reminder to participate in the drive. In addition, Campbell will again support this year’s food collection effort by donating one million pounds of food to Feeding America member food banks.

To participate in the annual Stamp Out Hunger food drive in Elsberry and Foley, residents are encourage to leave a sturdy bag containing non- perishable food items, such as canned soup, canned vegetables, peanut butter, pasta , rice or cereal, next to their mailbox prior to the time of regular mail delivery on Saturday, May 11. Elsberry and Foley carriers will collect these food donations as they deliver the mail and take them to Lincoln County Cupboard at Elsberry or Foley Food Pantry at Foley.

For more information about the annual Stamp Out Hunger food drive in Elsberry and Foley, visit http://helpstampouthunger.com or http://facebook.comStampOutHunger, and follow the drive at http://twitter.comStampOutHunger.

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